SHAKESPEARE SHAKEUP

Ms. D was in tears and dabbing at her eyes and nose with the flowered handkerchief that she had removed from her left sleeve. All of the neighbors were in back of Granny’s sitting at tables and listening to Ms. D’s account.

 “Just so you know, I did have that dreadful opening in the stage floor closed.”

Everyone nodded and some mumbled words of approval.

Ms. D could barely speak. “If I hadn’t left early to pick up Missy from the groomer, perhaps I could have…”

“No, no, Daphnella. Doc could quite easily have stepped into that trapdoor opening no matter if you were there or not,” Granny said.

“Yeah, I was the last one out except for Doc,” Angus said. “I told him to be careful, and he made some joke about not bouncing like he used to. I remember looking back right before I left, and he was standing at the edge of the opening with his hands on his hips and looking down. Maybe I should’ve…”

“No,” Granny said. “No one could have prevented it. He was fine when you left. He must have been working on the stage and…and misjudged his distance to the opening.”